"Be Careful...!"

The Church  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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How much of church conflict is based on nothing more than opinion? In 2,000 years of church history, how many debates have begun over topics man cares about, but about which the Bible is silent? How many have broken fellowship because of these matters of opinion? Does the Bible speak to such things? as a matter of fact...yes. In the 14th and 15th chapters of Romans Paul addresses such questions. How are we to handle matters of opinion? How do we handle things once such differences escalate? Who answers to whom?

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Romans 14:1 ESV
As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
rom
Romans 14:1–13 ESV
1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
Romans 14:1 ESV
1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.

Dealing with those “weak in the faith”

There should be the open hand of fellowship, but wise limitations.

Opinion

The Limitation - “You are welcome here, but not to fight about matters of opinion.”

Example 1

Romans 14:2 ESV
One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.
Romans 14:2–3 ESV
2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.
Romans 14:2 ESV
2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.

Example 1

Romans 14:3 ESV
Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.
Romans 14:3 ESV
3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.

Romans 14:4 ESV
Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
Romans 14:4 ESV
4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
rom14.

1) “Weak” is beginning to be defined - is it about freedom?

2) Do not let opinion lead to condemnation.

3) Know your place

Example 2

Romans 14:5 ESV
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
Romans 14:5–6 ESV
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
Romans 14:6 ESV
6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

4) Food, holy days, etc. - the rule - “Where the Bible speaks, we speak. Where the Bible is silent, we are silent” (opinion)

rom14.
Romans 14:7 ESV
7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.
Romans 14:8 ESV
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
Romans 14:7–9 ESV
7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
Romans 14:9 ESV
9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
Romans 14:10 ESV
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;

5) It’s about honoring God

Colossians 2:16 ESV
16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.
Romans 14:11 ESV
11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

6a)

Romans 14:12 ESV
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

6) Lest we forget Judgment Day

Romans 14:13 ESV
13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
rom1

6) Lest we forget Judgment Day

Colossians 2:16 ESV
16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.
col3

The BIG Idea:

Do not ASSUME too much power,

Do not ASSIGN too much power.

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